Flint's Jade Jones takes gold at European Games

Jade Jones has won gold at the European Championships in Baku (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

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Jade Jones blazed back from her World Championship heartache to grab Great Britain’s third gold medal at the European Games in Baku last night (June 17),

The 22-year-old North Walian kept her nerve to beat Croatia’s Ana Zaninovic 12-9, just one month after a scoring malfunction cost her the chance to claim a place on the podium in Chelyabinsk.

Olympic champion Jones, whose triumph followed golds for taekwondo team-mate Charlie Maddock and triathlete Gordon Benson, said she now wanted to go on to reach new heights in the sport.

Jones, from Flint, said: “It’s great to achieve so much at such a young age but I still have the world and European titles to win.

"I wanted this so much"

“I want to become a legend in my sport so I’m not done yet.

“I was distraught after the worlds and I did really well just to get back into training. I wanted this so much and all I kept telling myself was that I do not want to lose again.”

Jones arrived in Baku with the determination to set the record straight and that extra drive propelled her through the early rounds when she admitted she did not perform to her best.

After an easy first round win over Despina Pilavki of Cyprus, the former Flint High School pupil had to fight back in the final half-minute to edge a tight second round win over Edina Kotsis of Hungary.

After holding off a late fightback to beat Swedish opponent Nikita Glasnovic 7-6 in her semi-final, Jones capitalised on a fast start against against Zaninovic and rode another comeback to seize victory.

More work to do

Jones added: “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t fight at 100% today. I’ve still got a lot more work to do but when I needed it I really pulled it out the bag. I feel so much better than I did at the worlds and I’ve improved a lot.”

Meanwhile, Lutalo Muhammad is relishing the prospect of renewing one of the biggest rivalries in his sport when he takes to the mat for the men’s -80kg competition today.

Muhammad is seeded for a semi-final clash with former Great Britain team-mate Aaron Cook for the first time since the former world number one controversially switched nationality to represent Moldova in April this year.

Cook had been estranged from the GB programme since Muhammad was ahead of him for the London 2012 Olympics.

Olympic bronze medallist Muhammad said: “This is Leonard-Hagler, Louis-Schmeling, Johnson-Jeffries, Ali-Frazier. This is a huge fight and I really do hope it happens. There is no bigger rivalry in the sport.”